Tainted Feathers
by Yeshua
Summary: What happens if Kuja suddenly gets warped to Earth before the Iifa takes him at the end of the game? And what if Kuja meets someone who can turn his life around for a second chance? Read and Review...
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: Hmm…the inspiration for this comes from LeFox somewhat. Also…I guess I'm renewing this idea for a Kuja fic. Um…enjoy.

Tainted Feathers

Prelude: Warp to Earth

Memoria, Iifa Tree

Kuja:

          Life can't get any better than this, I suppose. Why not try to leave it behind with a simple stab? Why couldn't the fates bestow this mercy upon me? Instead, I was laying here on a broken leaf of the Iifa with only a small fragment of the Life Crystal left inside of my body. I had said my peace…I had made peace with the fact that the Iifa would make it quick. So when the roots began to crash down, I thought it was all over. And maybe I thought my suffering was at an end.

          And then, a blinding light filled my vision and my entire body felt as if were on fire. I admit I screamed quite load, but that was to be expected. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself staring out a void of white that seemed to pass by every waking moment.

          "Am I dead…?" I asked out loud.

          My voice echoed off unseen things far off somewhere. Soft piano music began to play and then chocobos rose up all around my body.

          "Are you ready, Kuja?"

          I blinked and glanced all around my body. It looked like I was now in the middle of a glassy plain. Gods, I'm going mad or I'm probably dead. All of a sudden, a shadowy woman dressed in a array of twisted, delicately woven tree branches walked out of the grass and into the void.

          "Stand, Kuja."

          At first, I shook my head, knowing that my broken, battered body wouldn't be able to stand for weeks…even months.

          "Stand up, Kuja," The woman repeated.

          I bit back a snarl and hoisted myself up onto my feet. I expected to feel unbelievable pain right then and there, but it never came.

          "What kind of power is this?" I asked.

          The woman smiled and extended her hands outward.

          "You are in the Iifa, Kuja. I know won't recognize it now."

          "But why am I here?"

          "Because you are bitter…scorned, without a home. You can't get a second chance this way."

          I snorted.

          "A second chance? You must be kidding if you think anyone would consider reviving me," I snapped.

          "That is why you must learn to deserve your chance. So maybe, just maybe I'll send you off somewhere to learn your lesson."

          I could image how foolish I must have sounded earlier, but I didn't care. I would never change. I was the indomitable Kuja: the destroyer of worlds, the destroyer of many generations.

          "And…what if I don't comply with this?"

          "Too late and you will not remember this visit."

          I started to say something, but my mouth refused to make any sound.

          "Til we meet again, son of Garland."

Hours later

On a beach somewhere in the U.S.

Kuja:

          The sound of roaring and crashing water filled my ears and startled me awake. The soft light of down assaulted my vision immediately, making me snarl in displeasure/disgust. Where was I? This certainly wasn't the Iifa…and I had never seen an area like this before. Of course it was a beach, but on Gaia, people had the sense not to build their homes near the ocean. Not like that was a bad idea. I wouldn't have minded building a place there. I got to my feet slowly, noticing how heavy my clothes were.

          I was soaking wet, which somehow made me very angry. My vanity was at stake here! Without thinking, I rubbed my sandy hands all over my head, checking to see if any feathers had fallen out. Fortunately for me, they were all intact. So…once again, I had to bring up the question of my location. This place wasn't exactly like Gaia, which frightened me. I walked away from the edge of the ocean and blinked at the sight of a flock of very white birds. Doves? No…seagulls.

          The seagulls glided in closer, letting out cries of joy at their brothers (or sisters). I extended my pale hand out to them and winced as they pecked at it quite painfully. I began to run away from them, but instead, fell face first into the sand. Gods above, I thought as I spat the sand out of my mouth and rolled over onto my back. The stars in the sky were so pale…and so delicate…like me. This was a strange world and I was alone. I had no power here. What am I going to do? I stayed on the beach until the sun was halfway in the sky. I was in a dream-like trance by then, just letting my thoughts wander and displace themselves.

          The seagulls had swarmed all over my thin and lithe body, picking and crying. They thought I was dead, but I was not. Now, I wish I could make their thoughts real and push myself into the pitiful state that precedes death…but I couldn't. I had no power to channel, only to live. And living is what the Life Crystal wanted.

          "Oh my god! Is that man injured?"

          The question snapped me out of my dream-like state into reality. Reality…where the pain comes into little stabs than blows. I groaned loudly, scaring the seagulls away from my head and flexed my hands. They were stiff with the hours of disuse, but I was forced to not care about that when a woman walked up. From my perspective, the woman appeared to be as tall as me, and she wore a large cloak-like jacket with pants made out of material I could not identity and a pair of knee-high black boots.

          Her face was as pale as mine and she had brown eyes and brown hair that fit carefully under a black cap. To put it plainly, she was absolutely beautiful and I've never seen any woman like her on Gaia. A sudden impulse bade me to smile like an idiot and blush at the same time, but I waved it off. All that self-discipline I've had over the years would not go to waste. At least, not now I wouldn't. The woman knelt down and touched my neck softly. I recoiled from her touch like a wounded dragon and tried to sit up.

          Bad idea. Explosive pain erupted from my lower back, ripping a scream from my throat. The woman jumped back in surprise and in horror as she caught a glimpse at what made me scream: my tail. As many times as I said I hated my tail, I REALLY HATE IT NOW. It brought unruly pain and humiliation to my chest and those were two things I refused to accept.

          "What are you?" The woman asked.

          "I am a normal person, just like you."

          My voice cracked in mid-sentence, sending my once proud and noble voice to a feeble whisper. The woman rolled her eyes and edged back over to my body slowly.

          "You have a tail so…you can't be human."

          "Correct," I muttered, rubbing my injured tail. The woman drew in closer and touched a strand of my dirty silver hair.

          "Is it real?" She asked.

          I snorted.

          "Of course it is."

          "But how did you get the feathers in? And I'm correct by assuming that you are a guy?"

          My, my, she was sharp. Most people didn't find out I was a guy until I wove magic. Usually by then, it's too late.

          "The feathers in my hair naturally grow and yes, I am a guy."

          "Wow. So what's your name?"

          Uh-oh.

          "My name is Kuja," I said evenly.

          The woman stood up and extended her arm out to me. I took it and winced as she pulled me up to my feet.

          "The name's Zoë Tsukikage. Pleased to meet you, Kuja," She said cheerfully.

          Zoë…what a name. It was certainly much better than Kuja.

          "So…you are not from here, where are you from then?"

          I shrugged, not exactly wanting to touch that subject yet. I couldn't really call Gaia or Terra my home. I destroyed one and came close to destroying the other. That wasn't exactly something I wanted to reflect on right now. Zoë frowned.

          "It's one of those issues, huh? Don't worry, I've got a lot of them, so I won't ask about it."

          That was good for my stress level. At that moment, my stomach growled loudly. Zoë giggled and smiled.

          "Sounds like someone's hungry."

          I smiled.

          "Come on, I'll fix something for you at home."

Minutes later:

          Zoë's home was well away from the cool breezes of the ocean. That was fine with me, seeing as my clothes weren't exactly up to par…plus I barely had anything on. Zoë unlocked the door to her house and pushed me in gently. The front foyer was a light blue hue complete with plenty of beautiful flowers. Flowers that I had never seen before. This world has proved itself interesting, I thought as I touched the petals. Zoë closed the door behind her and walked forward into another room.

          "I suppose you want to bathe first," She commented.

          "Hmm…yes. If you don't mind."

          If you don't mind? Wow, that was a first, Kuja. Hmm…where was my old streak?

          "Follow me."

          I did as she said and glanced at the big black box in the center of the next room. Hmm…what was that for? I started to ask her just that when she opened the door in front of her.

          "Here's the bathroom, Kuja," Zoë declared as the lights came on in the room.

          I stepped into what appeared to be the biggest bathroom I've ever seen.

          "What on Gaia…" I whispered.

          "Do you know to work everything?"

          I'm not a caveman, Zoë. This bathroom isn't that much different from the one I had at my Desert Palace. Ah…Desert Palace. I wondered how Silver was doing now. Was she worrying about me?

          "Kuja?"

          "Yes, I'm fine," I snapped.

          I could almost feel the surprise from Zoë at my reaction. I didn't mean to snap, but…when the door closed behind me softly, I knew she took offense. I would apologize to her later. After all, she could just cast me out in the cold. I couldn't help but smirk as I turned the knobs on the bathtub. I picked up the bottle next to the knobs that read 'Bubble Bath' and poured a little bit in. Heh, heh, I'm a sucker for pretty smelling things…just like a cat. I chuckled at this thought as I stripped what was left of my clothing and kicked my boots off.

          I slipped in the warm water in the bathtub and turned the knobs to turn the water off. So…this place was just like Gaia…and yet it wasn't. I had so much to learn here. Not only that, but I had to wonder when I'd have to return to Gaia to face my fate. I lowered myself deeper into the water so that it went to my nose and my silver hair was partially soaked. Fate…was a funny thing. It didn't kill me and it brought me here…to this foreign place and in the care of Zoë Tsukikage. I couldn't believe my luck, I really couldn't.

Zoë:

          I couldn't believe my luck. Just when I thought I couldn't attract more trouble, I had to find Kuja. This discovery would put a strain on my relationship with my boyfriend, Michael. But I couldn't kick Kuja out. There was something about him that was mysterious and definitely otherworldly. Then again, he snapped at me earlier. Maybe I would have to get rid of him after all. But how? I pulled out a bowl of soup from my microwave, being wary of how hot it was.

          The sound of a door opening caught my attention and I glanced around the corner only to see Kuja in one of my robes. I was surprised he could fit in one of my robes. I was surprised he could fit in one of my robes…let alone look good in it. His hair seemed shinier and brighter than ever and the feathers it held were glorious. Kuja yawned and stretched slowly in front of a mirror as I continued to watch him.

          "Hmm…my feathers need combing. This appearance will not do, Kuja," He hissed.

          Whoa…talk about narcissist.

          "Will soup be ok?" I asked softly.

          Kuja turned and smiled softly. There was something mysterious in that smile…

          "Ah, well of course that's fine."

          He walked into the kitchen slowly and reached out for the bowl. I handed it out to him and watched take a spoon and eat.

          "Ah…this is certainly better than what the cooks in Lindblum can produce," He commented.

          "Lindblum?"

          "It's a city in my home world."

          "And you live alone?"

          Kuja shrugged.

          "That's normal…isn't it?"

          I laughed and turned away from him. Being alone wasn't normal, at least not for me. That's why I was dating Michael.

          "Did I say something wrong?"

Author's Note: Lemme know if you like it.


	2. A Look At Love

Author's Note: For those who are wondering, I am not abandoning Sosei. It's just going to be a while before I update that again because I've kinda lost sight of the plot n everything.

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 1-A Look At Love

Kuja;

          I caught the hint of sadness from Zoë earlier, but I couldn't do a thing about it. Comforting people wasn't my style and most people knew that. But Zoë didn't. I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty. After my meal, Zoë took me back into her bedroom for clothing. I think she didn't mind me in her bathrobe, but I supposed I couldn't stay in it forever.

          "I'm sorry I don't have any clothes for guys. This is my own house, you know," Zoë commented.

          I smirked and waved her off.

          "Just give me a pair of pants and a shirt. I'll be fine."

          Zoë shrugged and handed me a pair of black pants and a shirt. I took it and sauntered back into the bathroom. The pants fit me extremely well and the shirt was a little big on me, but it'll do. I curled my long silver tail around my waist and ran my fingers through my long hair. I headed back to Zoë's bedroom and settled down on the edge of the bed.

          "I didn't mean to offend you earlier, Zoë," I said softly.

          "So…what's your home world like?"

          I glanced at my feet and sighed.

          "It's like this place…only there are more of my kind around. And there's airships and everything."

          Zoë frowned.

          "Airships? You mean…like cars only they can fly?"

          I gave her a strange look.

          "What are cars?"

          "We rode home in one, silly."

          Ah…so that was a car. Interesting…

          "I want to see more of this…um…"

          I hesitated.

          "Earth?"

          "Yes…earth."

          Zoë grinned and touched my shoulder.

          "Maybe tomorrow."

          Oh…that sounded like a delay. Ah well, I wasn't in the mood to go out exploring anyway.

          "Here. I'll show you how to work the TV."

          "TV?" I asked.

          Zoë picked up a small rectangular remote and pressed the red button at the top. An unbelievably loud voice emerged from the black box in the right corner of the room. On impulse, I started uttering the words to a Thundaga spell, but I quickly caught myself. Magic wouldn't exactly be wise to use here. I must have looked strange, because Zoë shook me violently. I covered my face with my hands and sighed.

          "I'm fine. Don't worry."

          Sure, let's not worry about the strange man who probably convulsed in your chair when you turned on the TV. And why was he convulsing? What…casting magic? What's that? Zoë gave me a look that had suspicion written all over it.

          "You don't believe me?" I asked.

          "Normal people don't do that, Kuja."

          I figured that much out. A small chine pierced the air in the hallway, interrupting our conversation. Zoë walked out of the room, muttering about the TV and me. I smirked and took the small remote control off of its perch on the bed. More alone time for me. It wasn't until I started changing the channels on the TV that I caught the hint of angry shouting outside the room. I got up from the edge of the bed and slowly walked to the door. The shouting actually grew louder for a moment or two and there was a loud slap and then silence.

          I narrowed my eyes. Was that the sound of a real slap? All of a sudden, Zoë's door flew open and Zoë herself stormed in. I caught sight of a small bruise on her cheek as she went past. I started to comment, but she stopped me by pushing me out of her bedroom and into the hall.

          "Zoë?"

          The door slammed, leaving me alone in the hallway. I shrugged and started towards the kitchen.

          "Who are you?"

          I froze in mid-strike and shifted my attention to a man standing in the corner of the living room as I might call it. Hmm…I am growing old. I can't even sense people's presence anymore. Oh wait…that's the Life Crystal's evil doing. Heh, heh, evil doing. So how am I going to get out of this jam? Ah…the gender card always works.

          "I'm Zoë's girlfriend, Kuja," I said, forcing the feminine undertone in my voice out further.

          Tricks were good for tricksters. The trickster being me, of course. Michael, I presumed, gave me a strange look.

          "Zoë didn't tell me about you."

          I stopped myself from snorting loudly. I see why she won't tell you anything. At that moment, my ears picked up the soft sound of crying. I flicked my silver hair back softly, trying to pinpoint the sound. It came from inside Zoë's room…

          "She's crying," I commented.

          Michael flinched and tried to hide it with a smile. I wanted to laugh in his face; I really did.

          "What did you do to her?" I asked, trying to make it quick.

          "None of your business."

          "The canary does not deserve your abuse," I snapped, letting my voice go back to normal.

          "Canary? Zoë is a human being."

          If I didn't know any better, I would have vaporized him by now for being unfeeling. But I was Kuja and that meant that I had to be calm and controlled.

          "Apparently, you don't think that way by the way you treat her. I haven't been here long, but I learn of things pretty quickly. Zoë isn't happy and I don't you are doing your…job."

          Michael was fuming, that much I could tell. But would he react violently or peacefully? The answer was: peacefully. In one fluid motion, he exited through the open door.

          "How fare thee, Rose of May," I whispered as I closed the door behind him.

          Why did I just defend this woman? What was so important about her that you had to humiliate this man? I laughed and shook my head. You're growing soft, Kuja, I thought as I went back to Zoë's bedroom. The sobbing had not subsided any since I first picked up. I opened the door softly and stepped in. Zoë was on the bed, buried in pillows and various other things.

          "Strong people don't cry," I said softly.

          "You love mocking people, don't you?" came the angry response from under those various pillows.

          The true answer to that question was yes, but I was smart enough to keep that to myself.

          "No. Besides, I think your boyfriend hates me," I commented.

          Zoë sat up and rubbed her red, puffy eyes.

          "What did you do? You couldn't have hit him…you don't have any muscles for that."

          Actually, I did, but I fought using a defensive style. I usually didn't out right hit somebody. It wasn't my style.

          "I fight with words and other things. Many people underestimate me."

          Zoë rubbed her face and sighed.

          "Why did you do that for me?"

          I didn't tell people my motives, simply because it would unravel the mysteries around me. And I like to be mysterious. But Zoë was a different case. I was compelled to help her because she was just…like me: alone…scorned and hopeful. Michael did not deserve her love; someone else did. Just…not me.

          "I…um…"

          Zoë waved me off.

          "That's ok, Kuja. I think I understand."

          For sake of sanity, let us say you do not understand me. To understand me meant you were insane, pure and simple. But I nodded and went along with it. Why mislead her?

          "Kuja, on your home world, is there such a thing as love?"

          I gave Zoë a calm, detached look.

          "I-I've never experienced love in its finest form, but my brother has. So, I guess you can take that as a yes."

          "How can you not experience love?"

          That question burned a hole in my heart. I flinched and began to shake uncontrollably. It was a bad reaction, I know, but it was one I couldn't control.

          "Because I am a failure. I am evil; I cannot be loved. Not ever," I hissed.

          For a moment or two, I laughed. Zoë got up from her bed and stood in front of me. Her expression was not one of fear, but of careful consideration.

          "You're like a child. You act on the hopes that someone will notice you and praise you. But the years of not being noticed have corrupted you from the inside out. Am I right?"

          It was hard to keep the shock off of my face. I couldn't believe a normal human read me like a book. Zoë's serious expression melted into that of a smile.

          "I guess I'm correct. Sorry about that, it just comes and goes. My gift, I mean."

          I gave her a nervous look. Your gift certainly frightens me enough. Zoë leaned in and kissed me on the cheek softly.

          "Come on, I'll fix my specialty dinner for you." Specialty dinner? Ooh…sounds nice.


	3. Shopping

Author's Note: I guess the next chapters are meant to put Kuja through hell. Well…kind of. Enjoy. Quick! I don't own any of the stores mentioned in this story!

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 2-Shopping

Zoë:

          After dinner, Kuja fell asleep on my couch in my living room. I couldn't help but notice how angelic he looked. His noble face was relaxed in restful slumber and his lips were partially opened. He was beautiful, absolutely beautiful, but troubled. Based on what my gift told me, Kuja had plenty of inner demons he had to purge. Maybe that's why he was sent to Earth…to maybe purge his demons. Who knows, really? I took a blanket and spread it over his thin body carefully. He stirred only once, whispering some words in a language I've never heard of in my life.

          It was then that I saw a small number scarred on the top of his left shoulder. I started to reach out and touch it to see if it were real, but I thought the better of it when Kuja rolled onto his left side. The number was one and I had to wonder why that number was on his shoulder. There were a lot of things the number one stood for. Maybe I'll ask him tomorrow, I thought as I walked back into my bedroom.

The Next Morning

Kuja:

          Although the air was slightly chilly, the mornings on Earth looked like a good thing. I wouldn't say that it was better than Gaia's, though. This world had its perks but I missed home. At least home didn't have people who can suddenly pick up on your thoughts and can tell your entire life story. Well, maybe that was a good thing. I didn't want to tell Zoë about my past yet. It would probably make her hate me. And hate was something I didn't need. I uncurled my tail from around my waist and sighed.

          There were so many things that made me different. The tail, the heritage, the darkness of heart… Zoë was so much purer than I. Maybe I was jealous of that purity; really I was. I wonder if I had all of my magic back in full. I balled my right hand up into a fist and watched a thin film of energy crackle around it. I had some energy up for use, but not all of it. Well, some was better than none.

          "Kuja?"

          I turned around slowly and brushed the hair out of my face. Zoë smiled at me softly.

          "Good morning, Zoë. Did I disturb you?" I asked.

          "No, of course not. Are you feeling ok?"

          I nodded.

          "Perfectly well rested. What about you?"

          "I could be better. Say…do you want to go shopping for clothes? I'm pretty sure you're tired of hanging around in my clothes."

          "Shopping? I suppose so. And I don't mind being in your clothes really."

          "Yeah. But how are we going to disguise your appearance?"

          I smirked and flicked my hair back.

          "Have makeup…will travel."

Minutes Later

Zoë:

          I watched in awe as Kuja delicately put on dark red eyeliner combined with a little hint of green. How did he know how to put makeup on? He even wore a smirk as he put on an even coat of brown lipstick on his beautiful pale lips.

          "Hmm…that's almost it," He purred, turning to face me.

          Wow, now he really looks like a girl.

          "Amazing. How did you learn how to do that?"

          Kuja shrugged.

          "I learned when I was younger. It was an experiment."

          "An experiment…?"

          Kuja got a faraway look in his eyes.

          "I wanted to assert myself because I looked just like everyone else."

          "Is that why that number—"

          I trailed off. Kuja snapped out of his trance and glanced at me suspiciously.

          "What number?" He asked.

          "Don't worry about it."

          He still gave me that look, but said nothing more. I handed him a pair of boots and walked out of the bathroom. I heard him grumble for a few minutes and follow me through the living room. I grabbed my keys off of the side table and went through the front foyer to my door. Kuja was being awfully quiet now, which disturbed me more than a little. I opened the front door and ushered Kuja out. I locked the door quickly and gave Kuja a sidelong look.

          "What are you being quiet about?"

          Kuja blinked.

          "I am thinking about something."

          I walked to my car and unlocked the door.

          "Is it about the makeup thing?" I asked as I pressed the unlock button.

          I watched Kuja calmly stride over to the passenger side, hips slowly moving in a fluid, sexy motion. How did he do that? I could tell by the way he moved that he was in a pensive mood.

          "No," He said through clenched teeth.

          I shook my head and got into my car. In one fluid motion, I had the key in the ignition and started. Kuja slid in the seat quietly and closed the door.

The Mall

12:35 P.M.

Kuja:

          The mall was a place…I hadn't dream of seeing in my life. I was completely over my quiet thoughtful spell over my childhood. And apparently, Zoë was too for she was fusing over my appearance again. I laughed and let her do so. I looked so much like a girl now that it was almost unbearable for me. Heh, almost. The moment I entered the mall, I could have almost passed out. I was taking it way too much at the same time which made me dizzy. Zoë saw my reaction and shook me. I rubbed my face and sighed. Center yourself, Kuja.

          "I'm ok," I whispered.

          "You sure?" Zoë asked.

          I nodded and let her lead me along. As we walked, I focused more on the smells than on the sights and sounds. Hmm…was that the smell of cinnamon? I started to ask Zoë about it, but then I remembered that asking questions wasn't good. We eventually stopped in a store called 'J.C. Penny'. Hmm…what could that mean? So much to ponder, indeed. Zoë stopped in front of a small section and turned to face me.

          "Do you want me to pick out the clothes for you?"

          I shook my head.

Hour Later

Zoë:

          Kuja was a true narcissist, pure and simple. It took him barely five minutes to find fifteen different clothing combinations and fifty-five minutes to try them all on. Ah well, it kept me busy. I had nothing better to do with my riches and time. In the meantime, I had to stop Kuja from becoming xenophobic. I thought he was used to crowds in his home world. Maybe he was, I thought as I paid for Kuja's new clothes. Hmm…I had to work on him. I took my receipt and the bags from the woman and set out to find Kuja again. He was out in the interior of the mall, his body rigid with hidden tension. (A/N: Sorry about the jumping between Kuja and Zoë.)

Kuja:

          The feeling of déjà vu was horrible in this place. It almost drove me crazy and crazy wasn't good for me. Michael smirked and stood in front of me. I had this ugly feeling that he was getting ready to do something, neither Zoë nor I would approve of. At first, he surprised me by walking around my body as if inspecting me. I blinked, not liking the extra attention too well. I was used to being stared at, but this made me horrible paranoid. And I soon realized I had a right to be when I found myself all the way across the walkway.

          My jaw was sore…very, very sore. He punched me. Horror leaked through my calm expression as I silently realized in terror that it would take a lot of blush to hide that bruise. (A/N: No, I am not trying to make Kuja look gay. That would be against my moral code.) And so, my wonderful mind quickly thought of ways to humiliate Michael in public as I got up to my feet. Zoë walked to Michael with an unreadable expression, which meant war in my terms. Was I in for a juicy argument?

          "Why did you do that? I can't believe you, this is so immature!" She shouted.

          Immature, my ass. It was oblivious that he was getting me back for yesterday. It was a male thing, dare I say it.

          "So…you almost knocked my jaw off. Big deal. So, Michael, want another shot at me?" I asked, stretching my arms out wide.

          I was tempting him for only one reason. And that was to pump him full of electricity. As if on cue, Michael swung at me, wildly. Bad move. I caught his fist with my right hand and watched as his body began to convulse violently. I couldn't help but snicker in devilish delight as his life force drained into my body.

          "Stop it!"

          My gaze snapped to Zoë trembling form amongst the crowd that had gathered and shuddered. What in the nine hells was I doing? I let go of Michael's hand and stumbled backward somewhat as the familiar drain after using a spell came washing over me. Although my 'lust' for energy was not satisfied, I had to get rid of the crowd peacefully. So I yanked one of my feathers out and ground it into fine dust using my fingers. Then I blew the dust into the crowd, watching in displeasure as they scattered and moved along like mindless genomes. The moment they moved about thirty yards away, the spell would fade and they would remember nothing about my little accident. As for Michael, he would be back to normal in a matter of minutes. Good for him.

          "What did you do to him?"

          I tried to keep my gaze off of Zoë, but it was kind of hard when she was directly in front of my face.

          "I did nothing lethal."

          For a second, she looked like she was getting ready to slap me. But somehow I doubted it with all of those bags in her hands.

          "He was coughing up blood, Kuja."

          "There is nothing wrong with that."

          "Kuja, there was a carnal look in your eyes and I saw a darkness in you that I wish I had never seen."

          The look of darkness bit. I have heard it before, but I didn't believe it. I was controlled and calm all the time and nothing happened. So why was it showing up now?

          "You are right. I had no right to…um…sorry," I muttered sheepishly.


	4. Babysitting

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 3-Babysitting

Kuja:

          Zoë didn't speak to me on the ride home and I knew she was upset about the whole Michael thing. I didn't mean to almost kill him, it was just a reflex. Yeah…it just proves that I was a monster, pure and simple. My adventure at the mall made me what to write so I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. Hmm…handwriting was such a trivial thing, but I loved it.

          "How do you do that?"

          I snorted and glared at Zoë.

          "Oh…now your speaking to me."

          Zoë smiled softly.

          "Don't be an asshole, Kuja. I guess I'm still mad, but I couldn't blame you for what he did."

          I rubbed my jaw and pretended not to listen.

          "How is your glass jaw anyways?"

          I blinked.

          "Glass jaw?"

          "It's a metaphor. It means your jaw is easy to break, or something like that."

          I rolled my eyes.

          "It was a very lucky shot. I didn't see it coming."

          "But aren't you from another world? Don't you have powers?"

          "Yes, I do. But remember, it's been two days since you've rescued me. All of my magic hasn't come back in full."

          Zoë wrinkled her nose.

          "Magic?"

          "That's what I used on Michael. It was more of a weak thunder spell, though."

          "Weak? You almost killed him."

          I smirked.

          "I am aware of that. I think my body might have drawn too much energy from its pool."

          Zoë gave me a glare that would have melted cities. I think she saw the lie for what it was.

          "That's some excellent handwriting there. When did you learn how to perfect it?" She asked, changing the subject.

          "When I was younger, that's when I learned. I know two languages by heart."

          Zoë settled down in the chair beside me and took my tail into her lap. It was hard to ignore the sensations I got from this motion and my expression showed it. There were reasons why I didn't let anyone touch my tail. One of them was due to the fact that it had a lot of nerves in it, so it was very sensitive. Second, it was an intimate sign of affection for me. And third, most people yanked it…a lot. So I had learned to not let people near it. Zoë noticed my expression and giggled softly. At this point, I knew I was blushing.

          "I guess your tail is pretty sensitive, huh?" She asked as she rubbed her hand over the fur.

          I couldn't help but cover my face for the horror that was soon to come: purring. Sure enough, I began to purr softly at first, growing louder by the second. Zoë blushed and took her hands away. (A/N: Let me just say that this is not a sex scene. That may come next chapter.)

          "Um…sorry," She whispered.

          It took me a while to recover from the pleasure and shock of that moment, but when I did speak, my voice was sincere and quiet.

          "Why did you stop?"

          Zoë flinched.

          "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

          I placed my finger on her lips, signaling for her to be quiet.

          "You should never apologize for good things," I whispered, ending my sentence with a kiss on her lips.

          I moved away quickly after that, not wanting to offend her. Zoë sat there in shock for a second or two and blushed harder.

          "Kuja, thank you," She whispered, taking up the rubbing of my tail again.

6:21 P.M.

Zoë:

          The ringing of the phone woke me up suddenly from my 'nap'. I grabbed the phone off of the side table and pressed the 'talk' button, being careful not to wake up a very, tired, yet purring Kuja.

          "Hello?"

          "Oh, Zoë, how are you?"

          That was the voice of my sister Lena.

          "I'm fine. What's going on?"

          "Can you babysit for me?"

          Kuja stirred and let out a throaty purr/yawn and snuggled in closer.

          "Um…yeah. What time?" I asked, beginning to wonder how Kuja deals with children.

          "I'll bring her over in thirty minutes."

          "Ok, good."

          I hung up the phone and touched Kuja's face. It was cool and just as pale as usual.

          "What is it?" Kuja asked sleepily.

          "How good are you with children?"

          He glanced at me with his pale blue eyes and yawned.

          "I'm fair with them. Why what's going on?"

          His voice lost all sleepiness in it and the slight purr in it was completely gone.

          "My sister is going to bring her little one-year-old daughter for us to watch."

          "Watch? But aren't we doing more than that?"

          "Another word for it is babysitting."

          "Ah."

          Kuja sounded a little unsure at that realization. Once again, I began to worry for him. His behavior was of definite concern to me, since he seemed to never stay the same. Yes…who knows what Kuja could do? I rubbed his tail softly, trying to ease his tension. This time, he didn't react. I knew something was bothering him, but what? It was then that I caught sight of a red feather hiding amongst his stark white ones. That's strange. I thought Kuja's hair was naturally white. So…what was going on here?

          "Kuja?"

          "Please excuse me," He said gruffly.

          What was with the voice change?

          "Kuja, what's wrong?" I asked as he got up and walked out of the room.

          As he did so, I caught the sight of blood on his fingers. I chose not to comment and listened to the chiming of my doorbell. Enough for him for now, I thought as I went to open the door. Lena greeted me with a warm smile as I ushered her in.

          "What's wrong, sis? You look worried."

          You would be worried too if you had someone like Kuja around in your house. I shrugged and took a bag off of her hands.

          "Oh, I'm always like that nowadays," I said cheerfully as I could.

          Lena gave me a look that said 'yeah right' and settled down onto my couch with the car seat.

          "You need to stop wasting your time on Michael. He's a tramp, I tell you," She commented.

          Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of Kuja's tattletale silver locks in the doorway of my room. He was listening in…why?

          "I'm not wasting my time on Michael, Lena."

          There was the gleam of those blue eyes of his.

          "Well, anyway, watch Alexi for me. I'll be back in two hours."

          "She will be well taken care of," I muttered.

          Lena smiled and walked out of my house.

          "Is she gone?"

          Kuja walked into the room and approached the car seat holding Alex with a strange gleam in his eyes. He leaned in further to inspect the baby's features cautiously.

          "So this is the baby. Looks harmless enough," He commented.

          I couldn't help but laugh.

          "You were afraid of Alexi?"

          I watched in surprise as Kuja plucked a feather out from his hair and placed it in Alexi's hands.

          "Of course not."

          Heh, Kuja is full of surprises. Kuja smirked and took Alexi out of her car seat and lifted her up into the air.

          "Be careful," I warned.

          "She's fine. See?"

          Kuja let Alexi go calmly. I watched in confusion as the child began to float on her own.

          "What did you do?" I asked.

          "I used what is commonly known as Float. It's a harmless spell."

          I blinked. Maybe Kuja would be ok with Alexi after all. Hmm…and maybe I would get some cooking due.

          "She's all yours."

Kuja:

          She's all yours. Were those words the bringer of…perhaps doom? Probably not. I floated up to the ceiling with Alexi, watching her maul my feather to death. She was so cute…she reminded me of how Zidane was when he was younger. Ah childhood…the time of innocence. Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a child, but those days were far-gone. I touched Alexi's chin with my index finger softly, drawing a smile from the able infant.

          "Do you want to hear a tale, little one?" I asked.

          She laughed and flailed about slowly.

          "When I was a little boy, I used to cast my gaze at the stars in the Terran sky. Every time I did so, I would say the phrase: 'Ikaga ryoukin temae shan ranpu site sono sora (How fare you, beautiful light in the sky)?'"

          I smiled, reveling in the old memories.

          "You see, it's an old greeting to the stars. I used to bless the stars everyday…and you should too. It's not much of a tale, but it's something to remember."

          Whoa…did I get all soft and mushy just now? Gods above, I'm out of it. But Alexi seemed to enjoy it. I guess that's what I wanted. Children…linage…wasn't that something I wanted? I wasn't exactly sure. No one had ever loved me like that before. But what about Zoë? Did she like me like that or did she want Michael? I wouldn't blame her if she did, although I hated to see someone like her abused.

          "Patience…silver one."


	5. A Look At Love, Part 2

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. Emotional problems do come in threes. Um…so enjoy!

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 4-A Look at Love, pt.2

Zoë:

          Ikaga ryoukin temae, shan ranpu site sono sora. That sounded like a meaningful phrase. I didn't know Kuja was so deep. After an hour or so, my living room went completely silent. I poked my head around the corner and saw Kuja floating up near the ceiling with little Alexi curled up in his arms. He looked so much like a father up there…

Kuja:

          I watched Alexi's placid, relaxed expression and sighed. She was so precious…so innocent. I still envied her greatly. I wondered if Zoë felt like going for a walk on the beach. Maybe I could fly her over there. I flexed my arm again, noting how quickly energy bubbled up and vanished. Ah, that was good. I would have more than enough power to do what I wanted. A small chime echoed down the hall, cutting through the silence I had originally generated in the room.

          "Kuja, come down and be polite, Lena hasn't seen you before," Zoë shouted.

          I smirked and dropped to the floor gently. Manners were the one thing I could not manipulate to my liking (I've never liked kissing ass). The front door swung open with a small hiss and I watched calmly as Lena walked into the living room. She eyed me carefully, not knowing what to make of me. I was suddenly very glad I took my makeup off, although I looked horrible without it.

          "Lena, this is Kuja," Zoë said softly.

          I smiled and bowed deeply.

          "Pleased to meet you, Lena."

          Lena nodded and took Alexi from me gently. I watched her sit the small infant in the car seat and secure it.

          "She was no trouble really. Kuja's very good with children," Zoë commented.

          I shot her a glare and folded my arms. She smiled and stuck her tongue out at me while Lena's back was turned.

          "Well, Zoë. We'll talk later."

          And with that, she left. I shrugged and ran my fingers through my hair.

          "She didn't like me too much," I commented.

          Zoë sighed and shook her head.

          "Lena's just wary. She doesn't like me wasting my time on men, especially those like Michael."

          And someone like me, I suppose. I felt a pang of pain and stayed silent. I was joking if Zoë really wanted me. In order to hide my displeasure, I turned around and played with my hair absentmindedly. (A/N: My Will is by Dream, by the way.)

          _Sotto Mezameru… (Quietly awakening…)_

"You're doing it again. Now tell me what's bothering you."

          I laughed.

          "Why are you worrying? I am fine."

          I heard footsteps behind me and then…a welcoming touch of my tail.

          _Hakanai omoi, omoi zutto (I always, always wish)_

_          Donna toki demo negau yo (that these fleeting thoughts)_

_          Anata ni todoku you nito (would reach you…)_

I resisted the urge to purr and become soft again. Softness was not me at all. That was not Kuja; that was not the monster.

          "Kuja…please, tell me what's wrong."

          "Ato sukoshi to yuu kyori ga fumidasenakute, itsumo me no mae wa tozasarete-ita no. Aitai senai hibi wo kasaneru tabi ni, touyoi tokimeki wa setsunasa ni naru yo," I whispered.

          I could almost see Zoë's face twisting up in confusion.

          "It means roughly, 'Unable to move forward across just a little more distance, the way I see before me is always blocked. Every time the days I want to see you but can't pile up, my strong heartbeat turns to heartbreak.'"

          Silence greeted me. Just like I thought…

          "Do you want to go walk on the beach?"

          I whipped around, whipping the hurt expression from my face.

          "How are we going to get out there?" I asked with a smirk on my lips.

          Zoë shrugged.

          "Take the car, I guess."

          "Don't you want to fly?"

          "Fly? Kuja, I don't know. You said yourself that your magic wasn't fully back yet."

          I waved her statement off and headed back to the front door. I opened it and walked outside into the cool night air. Zoë appeared on my right side moments later with a concerned look on her face.

          "Are you afraid for me?" I asked softly.

          Zoë frowned. I held in my surprise at her expression. In the many hours I've been around her…I'd never seen her so serious.

          "Maybe."

          _Moshimo eien to yuu mono ga aru nara (If there is such a thing as eternity)_

_          Toomawari shite demo shinjite mitai (I want to believe, even I have to take the long way.)_

_          Bukiyou dakara kizutosuku koto mo aru to (Although I know that I've been hurt before because I'm clumsy)_

          Wakatte mo tomaranai mou dare ni mo makenai (I won't stop; I won't give in to anyone.)

          I smirked and floated off of the porch.

          "Do you trust me?" I asked.

          Zoë hesitated. I extended my hand out to her, beckoning her to come forth.

          _Anata no koto wo smou (I think of you…and)_

_          Sore dake de hamida ga (that alone is enough)_

          Ima afuredashite kuru yo (to make the tears start to flow now.)

          "Do you trust me?" I asked again.

          My voice was slurred with the power of my oncoming spell, making it sound as if I were drunk. Zoë touched my hand and lifted completely off of the ground.

          _Hakanai omoi, omoi zutto (I always, always wish)_

          Donna toki demo regau you anata ni todoku you ni to (That these fleeting thoughts would reach you…)

          "I trust you, Kuja," She whispered.

          I lead her up into the skies, making sure to stay under the clouds. A flock of seagulls flanked us, singing joyfully. I couldn't help but stare at Zoë as she floated alongside me. There was something hidden in her expression, and yet I couldn't point out what it was.

          _Tsuyogaru koto dake shiri-sugite-ita watashi (I've known all too well about pretending to be strong.)_

_          Dakedo ano toki kara, mayoi wa kiesta yo (But since then, my doubts have vanished.)_

"Is there something wrong?"

          I smiled and turned around so that I would be floating on my back. Zoë inched closer, resting her hands on my chest.

          "Misetai to amou mono ga kitto atte, kikasetai kotoba mo takusan aru. Egao nakigao mo zenbu mite hashikute. Matte-iru watashi wa yamete," I whispered, pulling her close.

          "What does that mean?"

          "It roughly means, 'There's definitely things I want to show you, and so many words I want to hear. I want to see all sides of you, when you laugh and cry. So I'll stop waiting and seize my chance.'"

          I leaned in to kiss Zoë, but she pulled away with a smirk.

          "Chance, eh? Hmm…maybe I'll deny you," She purred and kissed me on the lips softly. I responded immediately by nibbling on her lip and turned the normal kiss into a passionate one. Sensations roamed freely up and down my body, lulling me into an almost dream-like state. So I couldn't tell when Zoë pulled away and pointed downwards.

          "There's the beach, Kuja."

          I sat up and floated down into the sand. Zoë plopped down beside me and smirked.

          "So…about Michael…" I began.

          She moved over to the edge of the beach and dropped her hands into the seawater.

          "What about him?"

          "I'm wondering about what you see in him."

          "I guess I just rely on him now. At one point, I truly loved him."

          I knelt down in the sand, although I despite sand in my clothes and on my body. In one fluid motion, Zoë pounced on me, knocking me back into the seawater/sand mixture. I grumbled, but I was quickly silenced with a kiss.

          "Zoë, you…I've never felt this way about a person before," I whispered, when she had finally moved away.

          "What do you think it is?"

          I paused for a second and brought my focus back to my body. I felt warm all over for the first time in years. Was this…love?

          "Love…?" I breathed.

          "So you love me, eh? I never would have thought."

          I sat up and locked gazes with Zoë. Behind those pale brown eyes was love, honest love. I also saw an emotion that I couldn't identity as well.

          "Yeah, I know. It's surprising isn't it? Big bad Kuja falling in love with someone like you."

          Zoë snorted.

          "Big? Bad? Hardly. You're just a sweetie inside. At least that's all you've shown me."

          I nodded and gazed up at the stars. Zoë touched my shoulder lightly and rested her head on it.

          "Ikaga ryoukin temae, shan ranpu site sono sora, right?"

          I stared at her strangely.

          "Where did you hear that?" I asked.

          "You told it to Alexi, remember?"

          "Heh, oh yeah."

          Zoë smiled and pulled me up to my feet.

          "Let us go."

Minutes later

Zoë:

          The moment I opened the front door, Kuja surprised me with a hungry kiss. I stumbled backwards somewhat from the initial shock and managed to push the door closed.

          "Zoë, do you love me?" He asked as he pulled away.

          I stared into those deep blue eyes of his and smiled. How could I deny him? Yes, it was true I loved him. I loved him more than Michael. Michael only had the mysterious personality and Kuja was…himself. For a moment, I saw the fire in his eyes falter. Passion and hope was driving Kuja on…and he was praying that I wouldn't let him down.

          "Yes, of course I love you," I whispered.

          Kuja hoisted me up into his arms and carried me into the living room. On impulse, I squirmed out of his arms and dragged him down onto my carpet. He landed with a small groan and quickly scrambled over to my side.

Author's Note: Yes, I have a rough translation of the lyrics. Kuja is actually saying some of them so you might as well say he's speaking Terran.


	6. Meet My Folks

Author's Note: Yeah, they um…had fun. It's oblivious.

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 5-Meet My Folks (Not to be confused with the NBC show)

5:57 A.M.

Zoë:

          I stirred from the bunches of blankets I was buried under and stretched. My arms ached somewhat, due to the fact that Kuja was an aggressive lover. And by aggressive, I mean he nibbled on certain areas of my body until they were sore. What a night that was! I patted the sheets on my left side, expecting Kuja to be curled up there, but he wasn't.

          "Kuja?" I called.

          "What is it, my dear?" came the answer.

          I rubbed my eyes and drew the covers up around my body.

          "Where are you?"

          Kuja walked into the living room and set a tray full of food down on the blankets. I gasped, amazed at how good the food smelled.

          "You…cook?" I asked.

          "Yeah."

          "But I thought you couldn't cook."

          Kuja snorted and picked up a little piece of meat off of the tray.

          "A lot of the dishes I know can't be made on earth. So I tried something out of the cookbooks near the stove. It's sausage, I believe."

          He put the piece in my mouth gently with his slender finger. I chewed on it thoughtfully and sure enough, it was sausage.

          "Not bad for your first cooking lesson," I commented.

          For the first time ever, Kuja beamed. His eyes twinkled with hidden delight and satisfaction. I had truly made his day.

          "How are you feeling?"

          I struck another piece of meat in my mouth and chewed it thoughtfully.

          "You should not be so rough next time."

          Kuja kissed me on the cheek and rubbed my arms softly. I tried hard not to wince at his action. Kuja probably felt some strain from last night as well. (I gave him something to be tired about.) Other than that, he was a gentle lover. I couldn't believe that someone his size could be so strong.

          "I apologize," Kuja whispered.

          I shook my head.

          "Why apologize? You told me not to apologize for a good thing."

          Kuja blinked.

          "So I did."

          I pulled him down into the pile of blankets and covered him up. I couldn't help but notice that he felt unusually warm. I wanted to comment on it, but I decided not to. He felt like that last night and he seemed normal enough. I sighed and laid my head on his chest. Kuja didn't move, which was surprising. Maybe he was tired or something.

Kuja:

          I admit I was tired and pushed well beyond the limits of my physical endurance. It wasn't that I was weak or anything…I was just tired. I admit that I was a bit frightened and concerned about my health. Who knows what Garland could do to me from Gaia? Or maybe he's already done it. I watched Zoë lay her head across my slender exposed chest and sighed. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

          "Kuja, you know you can tell me what's wrong."

          Zoë's voice cut through my trance and made me shake somewhat.

          "I'm fine, Zoë," I said sternly.

          "But you feel like you have a temperature and your breathing is swallow and ragged. That sounds like a problem."

          "That's normal."

          She rolled her eyes and got to her feet. Her robes fell all around her body delicately, hiding her greater features from view.

          "Wait there," She said sternly.

          Like I was going to listen to her. Moments later, Zoë came back in brandishing a wand-like object with a metal end. What the hell was that? I wondered inwardly. My first guess was that it was a thermometer. But since when does thermometers come like that? Automatically, my left eye twitched violently at the thought of where that blasted object would go. Zoë noticed my less than happy look and smiled.

          "Don't worry. It's not going to go anywhere but in your mouth. Now be patient while I stick it under your tongue."

          I stopped myself from whining and opened my mouth. Zoë stuck the thermometer in gently and pressed a small button at the top. It began to beep somewhat as I sat there. I wanted to know what to do now since this was a completely new experience. Zoë laughed.

          "Be glad you aren't a real cat or dog. Otherwise you would have this same thermometer up in a place…"

          No need for visuals, Zoë. I shuddered at the thought of it regardless. The thermometer beeped one last time and fell silent. Zoë took it out of my mouth and held it up to her face.

          "Kuja, you'll have to stay inside today," She said sternly.

          "Why?"

          "You have a temperature of 103.2, Kuja. That's really dangerous. I'll have to lower your temperature before doing anything else today."

          I shrugged. Fever wouldn't keep me down.

          "I'll be fine. I've never had to worry about sickness before. Don't waste your time."

          Zoë rolled her eyes.

          "You will do as I say."

          Like hell I will.

          "I told you I'm fine, Zoë," I snapped.

          She rolled her eyes again.

          "End of discussion."

12:18 P.M.

Zoë:

          I actually succeeded in getting Kuja to go to sleep again. I was surprised when he refused to let me take care of him. I couldn't believe he was so stubborn. But I took that out after a bowl of hot soup. Hot soup works every time, heh, heh. I tucked him in gently, making sure to make it so that he could breathe and stay cool. He still felt hot, but it seemed like he was doing better. The phone rang moments later, startling me out of my train of thought. I hope it wasn't Lena who was calling. Kuja nor I needed the tension. I picked it up and pressed the talk button.

          "Hello?"

          "Zoë, dear, how are you?"

          I paused for a second, recognizing the voice as my mother's.

          "Mother, it's good to hear from you," I said carefully.

          "When are you coming over our house, dear? You know I want to meet that guy of yours."

          But Kuja wasn't well. I couldn't force the angel to get up when it was sick. I would have to say no. But if I did, they would come over here.

          "Ah, I'll stop by today. Just give me a hour or so."

          I hung up the phone and stared at Kuja's prone sleeping form. Getting him up and out of the house would be a challenge. But it can be done, I thought as I pulled Kuja up into a sitting position. He groaned and opened one hazy blue eye.

          "What's wrong?"

          His speech was slurred with the after effects of the cough medicine I laced his food with.

          "We have to go somewhere," I answered.

          Another eye opened and a sleepy yawn escaped his mouth. The feathers in his hair fell in front of his eyes gently and then fell back.

          "Hopefully not the hospital," He hissed.

          "No, maybe it's worse than a hospital. Heh, it's my parent's house."

          Kuja raised an eyebrown.

          "Your parents want to see me?"

          I nodded.

          "Yeah, I suppose. Anyways, do you feel up to it?"

          "It's hard to shake of this exhaustion, but I am an actor. I shall play my part to the fullest."

          I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be happy about that. Sometimes Kuja 'overacted'. I helped him up to his feet and steadied him. Kuja yawned and rubbed his forehead gently.

          "Thanks, Zoë," He whispered.

          "Do you need help with anything?"

          "Uh…"

1:15 P.M.

Zoë:

          Bathing Kuja was a genuinely humbling experience. No one couldn't tell him that he wasn't hot and that he wasn't a male when naked. Surprisingly enough, he almost threw up in the bathwater. And what was even more surprising was the fact that he was almost dignified when he emptied the contents of his stomach in a trashcan. Now he was wide-awake and in a pair of thin pants and a thin shirt. I made sure to comb his fine feathery hair back gently into a ponytail and put a small amount of makeup on his face.

          "Feeling better?" I asked, kissing him on the cheek lightly.

          Kuja sighed and rubbed his face.

          "I'll live. Now let's go."

          I nodded and grabbed my keys. I was glad when Kuja didn't suggest flying. I wasn't sure he was up to flying with a very upset stomach. I opened the door and ushered him out into the lukewarm air. He swayed for a second and then systematically threw up into my garden. I ignored his hacking and closed and locked the door behind me. I went down the steps and got into my car. Kuja wiped his mouth and got into the air beside me.

          "Kuja, if you don't feel well enough to go—"

          "Enough, Zoë. I'll be fine."

Moments later

Kuja:

          Although I was still very sick, I was glad to be out in the open air at Zoë's parent's house. This was important to her so I couldn't ruin it by throwing up all over the place. So when we reached the front door, my stomach was back up to rumbling again. Zoë rung the doorbell and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. The door swung open slowly and a small, thin, aged looking woman appeared.

          "Zoë! You look quite good! I see you've been taking care of yourself. Oh and who is this?"

          I blinked at how fast this woman talked. It was almost hard for me to keep up. Nevertheless, an actor must perform…

          "Mother, this is Kuja. Kuja meet Mother," Zoë said calmly.

          "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Tsukikage," I answered politely.

          Zoë's mother eyed me from head to toe warily. I held my breath as bile began to rise in my throat.

          "You are rather unique in your…style," She commented.

          "I try to be," I said dryly.

          It was becoming harder and harder to hold down the bile. Zoë noticed my discomfort and tired to lead me away from her mother, but it was too late. I ended up throwing up all over her shirt and stumbling backwards slightly. Zoë managed to catch me before the world spun into darkness. Darkness that was all too familiar…

Author's Note: Sorry for Kuja being all sick, but I had to get back into the scheme of things.


	7. Realization

Author's Note: For the next three chapters, Kuja may seem a little bit OOC. The reason why is because of the entire time he spends in the hospital. He should be afraid…but I made him stay calm and collected, even though he was sick.

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 6-Realization

Zoë:

          "You shouldn't have brought him out here, Zoë."

          I groaned and covered my face.

          "He was being stubborn about staying home. I wasn't about to argue with him about it."

          Mother let out an exasperated sigh.

          "Just like your father, he is. Well, we can't keep him here in this condition. We'll have to take him to the hospital."

          I froze. Kuja wasn't from this world. He would be treated like an experiment…if something should go wrong.

          "But Mother, Kuja's not like us," I protested.

          "Nonsense."

          "I'll just have to show this to you then."

          I opened the door to Kuja's room and took a moment to watch him. He was sitting in the middle of the bed in the position we left him in. His face was literally red and every now and then, his chest would heave in labored breath. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sheets off of him slowly. His clothes stuck to him pitifully and I knew he had to be in ultimate discomfort. His tail snaked out from under his side, barely twitching with movement. I touched it softly, generating a little gasp from his partially opened mouth.

          "See, Mother? He has a tail. The doctors will experiment on him if we aren't careful."

          Mother rubbed her chin.

          "Indeed, but he needs our help. We have to take him to the hospital."

          "Oh wait…maybe Kuja can help us," I suggested.

          I pressed my cool hand against his cheek. Kuja moaned and nuzzled against my hand.

          "Hmm…it's so cool…Zoë?" He asked.

          "Kuja, we have to take you somewhere…public. Can you hide your tail?" I asked.

          He frowned for a second and then uttered some words under his breath. Kuja seemed to relax and drift back off to sleep. His tail had disappeared even though I could still feel it wrap around my hand lovingly.

          "Alright, let's go."

Hospital

Kuja:

          This place was different from anything I've ever seen before. I tried to take in all I could as Zoë and her mother carried me in. On the way here, I threw up twice outside the car…

          "Kuja, are you ok?"

          I couldn't see Zoë directly so I nodded feebly. My body felt heavy and limp. It was nearly impossible for me to walk without support now.

          "I'm being so much of a burden," I whispered.

          "No, you aren't, Kuja. Now be easy. We've got to get you checked in."

          The hospital entrance hall was noisy and full of people with various injuries. I couldn't help but cringe at the moans and screams of the dying and injured. At last, I was sat down in a chair off to the side of a big desk. Zoë stood beside me, rubbing the place on her arm where my tail curled around.

          "Zoë…what is this place?" I asked softly.

          Zoë squeezed my tail and patted it softly.

          "It's the hospital's emergency room. Just be easy, my dear. Everything will be ok."

          Why do I think otherwise? I shrugged lightly, feeling pain erupt in my shoulders. Zoë's mother walked out of seemingly nowhere and started to talk to her. I started to listen in, but it seemed like I had no strength. My vision blurred on the edges and began to spin. No…I had to stay awake! I owed that much to myself. Just as soon as it had come, the dizziness passed.

          "So they have a room open right?" Zoë asked.

          "Yeah, don't worry, I've got my doctor to look after him."

          I didn't want anyone looking after me. I wanted Zoë to stay with me. A thin, light-skinned woman in a white coat and pants walked in my line of sight.

          "Ah, Dr. Williams. It's good to see you. Kuja is the person you'll be taking care of," Zoë said softly.

          Subconsciously, I felt my tail tighten around her arm. I didn't want this person to take care of me. Dr. Williams touched my forehead softly and shook her head.

          'You've tried to get his temperature down, right?" She asked.

          Zoë and her mother nodded.

          "It won't come down by itself. That's why we felt like we needed to bring him here," They both muttered.

          "Alright, I've gotten him a room. I'll handle it from here," Dr. Williams said.

          She waved at an attendant nearby and mouthed some words. She pulled my tail off of her arm and kissed me on the cheek. She felt so cool…

          "Dr. Williams will be taking care of you for a while. Just know that I am close by," She whispered in my ear.

          I nuzzled against the cool face the best I could before she moved away.

          "Here's a wheelchair, Dr. Williams."

          Zoë smiled and walked out of the emergency room. Two rough hands lifted me out of the chair and into the wheelchair. As Dr. Williams wheeled me into an elevator, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Zoë in the parking lot. Was I going to see her again…?

Hour Later

Zoë:

          I wanted to be with Kuja those first few terrifying hours in the hospital. He was sick and he needed me. I felt so bad about it. After leaving the hospital, I returned to my mother's house. She seemed more thoughtful than ever—going as far as to weave blankets for Kuja. At the rate he was going, he would need several clean replacements. I even went as far as to offer to help her.

          "Come sit down, Zoë. Kuja doesn't need you in the hospital too."

          I glared at my mother and sat down.

          "I wouldn't mind going back there. At least I wouldn't be far away from Kuja," I said dryly.

          Mother laughed and leaned back in her chair.

          "I understand how you feel, Zoë. But did you see Kuja's face? He looked like he was going to die from being separated from us."

          Hmm…would Kuja behave like that? He was the type of person who remained calm and collected about anything.

          "But Mother, you don't get it. I made love to this man. I…I may have his child," I muttered.

          Silence followed my statement. I knew what Mother was going to say about my choice in men. Like dating a cat-like man was a good choice.

          "Why?"

          Mother's voice pierced the air.

          "Because he showed me true love and he's better than Michael."

          Mother shot me a look that said, 'I don't care' and sighed.

          "Still…how do you know Kuja won't use you for your money?"

          I snarled and got up from my chair.

          "I can't believe you! You can't be happy for me!" I shouted.

          "Why get so emotional about it? Men come and go."

          I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My Mother didn't care about who I went with. I held back tears as I stormed out of the house. Where would I go? I had nowhere in particular to go, except for the hospital. I fished my keys out of my pocket and opened my car. I paused for a moment or two allowing silence to wrap around my being.

Kuja:

          Maybe hospital living wasn't so bad. I had nurses feeding me and pampering me. The downside was that I threw up a lot during such treatments so I really didn't enjoy it very much. I spent most of my time halfway asleep. I lifted my hand up slowly, staring at the tubes running out of it. The nurses called them IV's, which was the funniest thing to me. The door opened softly as I turned over onto my side. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zoë enter the room.

          I turned back over and noticed the hint of tears in her eyes. What could have upset her so much? And how could I comfort her?

          "Zoë," I whispered.

          Zoë closed the door behind her and plastered a happy smile on her face.

          "I see your food hasn't been cooperating with you," She commented.

          I sat up and sighed.

          "Well, it hasn't been the best lately. But I hope this doesn't upset you."

          I kept a closer eye on her facial expression for any leaks or tattletale signs of unrest. I didn't have to look long for minutes after my last response she began to cry. I pulled off the many sheets holding me down to the bed and got up. At first, I stumbled backwards due to the fact that I hadn't been on my feet in over an hour. I edged over to Zoë as quickly as I could and hugged her close.

Zoë:

          I felt like I would melt in Kuja's arms. Although he still felt quite warm, his embrace was welcoming. After a few minutes or so, he pulled away and smoothed my hair back carefully.

          "Now, tell me what upset you so."

          He sounded weaker than before, but that was to be expected. I released him and sat down in the chair near the bed. Kuja settled back into the hospital bed, his dulling blue eyes never leaving me.

          "My Mother doesn't believe I'm in love with you. She's convinced that I'm wasting my time on you," I said softly.

          For a moment, I saw Kuja's eyes flash crimson. I decided not to comment to keep his stress level down. Nevertheless, what I saw wasn't exactly normal for Kuja.

          "Do you believe her?"

          His voice sounded surprisingly clear and it even sounded stronger.

          "Of course not. But you can't imagine how much that hurts, Kuja."

          "Maybe I can."


	8. The Dream

Author's Note: My, my…

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 7-The Dream

11:33 P.M.

Zoë:

          I was in the middle of a street somewhere downtown. The moon was full and the middle of the sky, casting a dim glow on the buildings around me. Kuja was standing in the middle of the street, more than half of his beautiful silver hair turned red. Just a few yards from him stood Michael with a metal object in his hands. Metal? Wait—that's a gun! Before I could scream or move, Michael fired the gun. Kuja's body shook violently for a second…and then the sound of more gunfire ensued. With every bullet, his body sagged further until he was on the ground covered in blood.

          I screamed as loud as I could, but I could only make a squeak. Then, Kuja's body rose up from the ground surrounded by red vapors. His hair was completely red and his face was completely pale. I reached my hand out to him slowly, hoping that it would draw his attention. It did, making him turn his face in my direction. Kuja's eyes were completely red and his normally rosy lips were completely black.

          "Zoë."

          The scene in front of me faded back into the light cheery interior of a hospital room. I blinked and rubbed my sore eyes softly.

          "Zoë."

          I turned around and caught the worried glance of a weary Kuja. He looked like he had just gotten finished throwing up.

          "Zoë, you were crying out in your sleep…are you ok?" He asked.

          I ran my hands through my messed up hair and sighed.

          "It was a dream…a horrible dream," I whispered.

          Kuja straightened up and set his blue gaze upon me.

          "Would you like to tell me about it?"

          "It had you in it. It was so awful…"

          He frowned.

          "I'll go call the nurse, Zoë. Maybe you are just stressed out."

          I nodded. But why did that dream feel so real? Kuja pressed a button on the edge of his bed. I stood up slowly and stretched.

          "Are you going to be ok in this room all alone?" I asked.

          "Don't worry, I'll be ok. I'll just try to eat while your gone."

          Kuja was trying to make me feel better.

Kuja:

          I knew from experience that bad dreams were not a good thing, especially when loved ones were ill. I was surprised when she said the dream was about me. Was that a cause for concern? It probably was. In the meantime, I had to focus on keeping food down in my stomach. I had lost a lot of weight within 48 hours. I sighed. What can settle this stomach? In Gaia, crushed chocobo feathers would cure almost anything. Hmm…I wished I were on Gaia again. Then again, I didn't. If I went back, I would be slowly dying again.

          I was still dying on earth, but at a much slower rate. At Earth's rate, I would be at least 87 years old before I expired. I liked those odds better. I took another sip of the soup on the edge of the table and sighed. It was chicken noodle soup as the nurse put it. The door to my room opened softly and Zoë stepped back in with a huge smile on her face.

          "Hmm…you look much better than before, Zoë," I commented.

          "Of course I am. I'm having your child, Kuja."

          That was a true surprise. I wanted to get up and hug her, but due to my very sensitive stomach, I couldn't. Zoë kissed me on the cheek softly and grinned.

          "I can't believe it. Oh…if I wasn't so sick," I whispered.

          "Now, now. Don't act like that, Kuja. You'll be out of here soon, that I promise."

          Yeah, I suppose when I'm able to eat, I thought darkly. Zoë sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the bowl of soup. I knew there was one thing that was keeping me weak was the cloaking magic on my silver tail. I was crazy to hold onto a spell for this long. It would expire soon anyway. Zoë lifted the spoon up to my mouth carefully. I opened my mouth and took it in thoughtfully.

          "You're worried, aren't you?" Zoë asked.

          "I was thinking about what you said earlier. About a dream?"

          "Oh. I was downtown and it was dark. All of a sudden, I saw you and Michael in the street. Michael had a gun in his hand—"

          "What is a gun?" I interrupted.

          "It's a horrible device used to kill people."

          "To kill…hmm."

          Zoë shrugged.

          "Michael fired the gun and it went through your chest, killing you. And…And…you came back up and vapors of red hung around you. Your hair was red…"

          That sounded like trance.

          "Trance…" I blurted out.

          Zoë blinked.

          "Trance? What's that?"

          "In Gaia, most people with special abilities can trance. It usually occurs after the person experiences pain. With enough pain, the person takes on an entirely different form."

          "Has that happened to you?"

          I nodded.

          "Once."

          I kept myself from saying anything else about trance. Zoë didn't need to know about that yet. But that dream…it meant something. Whether it meant life or death…who's to say?


	9. Almost Normal

Author's Note: It's getting close to Christmas…

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 8-Almost Normal

Kuja:

          Today, I got to enjoy the comfort of a chair and not a bed. The nurses were kind enough to lift me up and deposit me here. To them, I seemed to be getting better bit-by-bit. Some of the nurses were kind enough to stay and talk with me while Zoë got some more tests done. So I was a father now. What would Zidane say? I chuckled and gripped the chair. Why was I thinking of that idiot? He probably didn't think I was dead, knowing him. Gaia probably took comfort in the fact that I was dead. Ha, if they saw me now.

          "More soup, Mr. Kuja?"

          I nodded and waved her off. They would drown me in soup until they were quite sure I could keep food down. Heh, if I were able to act more like myself, I would be ranting…a lot.

          "Kuja…"

          I glanced around me, noting that the nurse hadn't come back just yet. When I finally turned around, I caught sight of the Iifa.

          "How did you get here?" I asked.

          "Don't worry, I came the same way you did. The spirit is not confined. But that's not the point. The point is that you need to return to Gaia."

          Return? What the hell for?

          "Return to Gaia? What the nine hells for?" I snapped.

          "You've already earned your second chance, Kuja. No need to stay here much longer."

          Excuse…me?

          "I can't leave Zoë here and with a child. I'm not about to forsake the one thing I do have. Forget it, I'm not going back."

          "Have you noticed the red feathers in your hair? They are outnumbering the silver feathers. How long can you keep that a secret?"

          "I have nothing to hide."

          Iifa snorted.

          "Like hell, you don't. What about your past, Kuja? When you trance, everyone is going to know including your love."

          I snorted.

          "I can handle it."

          "You could lose her, Kuja. Don't wish that one thing away. Just come back to Gaia."

          "Oh…I should come back to those who hate me with no question. I should come back to a life with no love in it with the hopes that I die soon, like I should have. Is that ok with you? Do you like that idea, spirit?"

          I began to seethe inwardly as I said those words. Iifa sighed and shook her head.

          "I can't bend your will, Kuja. But…watch your actions."

          And with that, she was gone. A stab of pain shot through my right hand, making me notice that the IV had slowly worked itself a loose and jabbed itself through my palm. It was utterly painful…and yet, very satisfying. The door to my hospital room shot open and a nurse walked in with a bowl of hot, steaming soup. He caught sight of my bloody hand almost immediately and sat the soup on the bed.

          "What have you done to yourself?"

          "It was an accident," I said softly.

          The nurse lifted my wounded hand and pulled the needle out gently. The pain almost sent me into a trance of pleasure. It was then that I knew something was wrong with me. The line between pleasure and pain was thinning. And that could only mean one thing: trance. Iifa was right. I was going to trance soon…but for what reason? There had to be some reason why this was happening. Too much pain could mean my downfall. The dream Zoë had, proved it. So…what were my options now?

          "Are you ok, Mr. Kuja?"

          I nodded dreamily and stared at my now bandaged right hand.

          "What's going on?"

          Huh? That was Zoë's voice. The nurse stepped aside to let Zoë and another person through. That person just happened to be Michael. I bit my lip to keep from snarling, but my facial expression told it all.

          "I just had a little accident, that's all," I whispered.

          Michael eyed me dangerously before sitting down. Zoë lifted my hand, almost sending me back into ecstasy dreamland.

          "Maybe you should stay in for rest of the day," Michael commented.

          I narrowed my eyes at him before speaking again.

          "It's a minor wound, really. It doesn't hurt, seriously."

          "Do you want me to stay here with you?" Zoë asked.

          Well…I want to talk to her about this trance thing. I didn't want to lose her again to that idiot. I'd rather cast Ultima on the world before doing that. Michael cleared his throat and proceeded to pull Zoë out of the room.

Zoë:

          I slapped Michael the moment the door to Kuja's room closed behind us. He was surprised at first, but that shock faded away easily.

          "Why did you drag me out of here?" I asked.

          "Why are you being so nice to that freak?"

          I slapped him again, almost panting with anger.

          "Kuja is just anyone else. Besides, he's sick," I snapped.

          "He?" Michael asked, while rubbing his cheek.

          "Yes, he."

          "You like him, don't you? And what's this I hear about a baby?"

          Hmm…so he had found out.

          "It wasn't you that sired it," I said dryly.

          Michael looked like he was about to explode.

          "Don't be upset, Michael. It's a very fine child that I have."

          That voice…Kuja! Sure enough, he was standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

          "You whore," Michael spat.

          "My, my, sticks and stones. Tell me, Michael, all you wanted of Zoë was her money. She was easy prey, wasn't she?"

          I gasped and covered my mouth. Kuja ignored my reaction and continued.

          "She wanted love and you so called gave it to her while worming your way through the family. You are like poison, seeping in and corrupting all that you touch. So essentially, you are the whore, the parasite, the corruption that feeds off of her."

          Why was I crying? I couldn't believe what I had heard.

          "Do you deny it?" Kuja asked softly.

          I looked at Michael, wanting for the answer. Subconsciously, I slipped the ring he bought me off of my finger. Kuja saw the ring, but wisely remained silent.

          "No, I don't deny it," Michael said softly.

          I threw the ring at his chest and stormed off.

Kuja:

          I smirked at Michael's reaction as the ring clattered onto the floor. Michael pointed at me with a pained expression on his face.

          "You caused this," He whispered.

          "I caused this? You pathetic mortal. Look into your own diseased heart," I snapped as I went back inside and closed the door.

          I didn't expect Zoë to have a ring. In fact, I never saw it before. I had to wonder what kind of hell happened while I was trapped in this room. I settled back into my bed, feeling strangely drained from the entire experience. My eyes drifted shut as my body completely relaxed.

          "Pain and pleasure intermingle making the ultimate trance…"

Hour Later

Zoë:

          I found myself walking down the same hallway to get back to Kuja's room again. I was surprised when there was no sign of the ring on the floor. So the cheat took his pathetic ring back with him. I snorted inwardly. Let him go, I didn't need him anyway. I opened Kuja's door slowly, noting how dim and quiet it was. I stepped inside softly and closed the door behind me. There he was, laying on his back, deep in sleep. It was then that I made the decision that I would find out what Kuja was hiding behind that wall of gentleness.

          I would discover the real Kuja Tribal.


	10. Evil Inside

Author's Note: Last chapters coming up.

Tainted Feathers

Chapter 9-Evil Inside (You know, it's kind of like Intel Inside. *old running joke*)

Kuja's Hospital Room

Zoë:

          It seemed like forever before I made up my mind to use my novice powers. By using them, I knew that I would see Kuja's most private memories. I knew he wouldn't like the idea, so I didn't bother to ask him before. I slowly made my way to his hospital bed, being very careful not to wake him. I touched his forehead softly, collecting myself for what I was going to see next. And truly, nothing human could protect me from what I did see next.

          There were blue skies and a barren planet all in front of me and I saw Kuja. Yes, little Kuja staring forlornly at the sky with tears in those perfect cerulean eyes. At first, all I felt was grief, but that quickly changed when I saw the next scene. Now I was looking in on the cockpit of some kind ship or vehicle. There was Kuja once again; only he appeared much older, like he was today. He was juggling something in his hands idly and kept his gaze on an old gray man in front of him.

          "So now you've mastered the higher end spells," The old man hissed.

          Kuja idly tossed the balls of energy behind their back where they instantly vanished.

          "So now you decide to acknowledge my presence, Garland."

          Garland…how interesting. The next scene was back on the barren planet on the top of some kind of platform. Kuja was dressed in red, like in the dream I had. Off to the side was a small group of people and Garland. Kuja's expression was a complete mixture of emotions I had never seen before: anger, sorrow, horror and some I couldn't identify.

          "I am not failure! And I will not die! I am immortal, and I shall prove it!"

          He sounded like a frightened child. I dropped my focus and backed away calmly. What if Kuja really was just a child inside? Based on the little bit of information I had seen, this fact was pretty oblivious. I sighed and opened the door to his room. I would have Kuja ready to go in the morning. It was time for him to leave this place.

10:47 P.M.

Kuja:

          It seemed my memories wouldn't let me be this evening. I suppose my body had a good reason to remind me. My beautiful silver hair was almost gone; I had only two precious silver feathers left. The rest were blood red…a fitting color for what was about to come. I could almost feel trance looming over my back with an ugly smile. It wanted flesh. It wanted blood. I got out of bed slowly and stood up. For a moment, my legs wobbled. I hated inactivity more than ever now. It just made me weaker.

          Even though I was a black mage at heart, I still kept my body finely tuned. But those were the old days. Heh, during the new days, Kuja's probably likely to die of being overweight. Ha, now that was something Zidane could laugh at. I shrugged and slipped on the clothes Zoë left out for me. I could stand a little walking outside. The nurses always thought it was a good idea. When I had everything buttoned up and secure, I stepped out into the hospital hallway.

          It was very quiet, as expected. I walked down to the elevator as quietly as I could and pressed the down button. The elevator doors open immediately and for a moment, I hesitated. I was well…slightly afraid to go into those damned boxes. I swallowed my pride and stepped inside. The doors closed behind me, 'sealing' me inside the elevator. I gulped and pressed the 'L' button. The elevator immediately began to descend and for a few moments, I was nervous. When the elevator finally stopped, I left out a sigh of relief.

          The doors opened and I calmly walked out, heading to the sensor doors. The moment I exited the hospital, I felt lighter. Maybe hospitals were houses of death. I mean…people die everyday here. Death…what a subject. Wasn't it looming over my shoulder?

          "Surprise, surprise…"

          I whipped around violently, not in the mood for games or jokes. Little did I know when I caught sight of Michael.

          "Back for more insults?" I asked, keeping my voice calm and controlled.

          Michael smirked.

          "I'm surprised you would step out of the hospital alone. Where's your little Zoë?"

          "Are you jealous?"

          Michael laughed.

          "Once I do away with you, she will be mine."

          Uh-oh, old habits rising…

          "Don't fool yourself, mortal. The canary doesn't want you and she's not a fool," I snapped, almost busting out in laughter.

          Michael blinked and brought something out from behind his back.

          "You're the fool."

Zoë:

          Somehow, I knew something was wrong with Kuja. It was a gut feeling now. When I tried to go to sleep, I was met with the image of an empty hospital room. I needed to get back there now. I grabbed my keys off of the table and rushed out of my house and into the car. As I started the car, I couldn't help but feel like I was going to relive something. But what?

Minutes Later:

          I got out of the car as fast as I could, trying to stop anything horrible from happening…

          "You are the fool for thinking you can win, Kuja. Now say goodbye," Michael shouted as he drew something black out.

          A cold feeling snaked down my spine at the sight of it. This was just like in my dream…only I could stop this. I could stop Kuja from trancing.

          "No! Stop it!" I shrieked, starting to run towards Kuja.

          However, my plan didn't work. The gun fired and one bullet found its way through my love's chest. At first, Kuja's expression did not change, but that change when he started coughing up blood. I was rooted to that spot, unable to move or even think. All I could see was the bullet entering and leaving his chest over and over. The gun fired again and his body danced with each exit until it finally hit the ground. I couldn't believe I was crying. Michael laughed and approached me carefully.

          "Oh, my dear, look what he has bought himself…the sweet smell of death. And you are mine again."

          "You are insane," I shrieked.

          Michael grabbed my arm and shook me roughly.

          "Yes, but Michael is not as insane as me."

          That voice sounded like Kuja's, but it was hollow and something else was underlining it. That's when I saw him. Kuja was completely covered in red fur, except for the area around his smooth belly button and his feet were cat-like. A long orange tiger-striped tail snaked out from him elegantly. But those eyes—those powerful red eyes—held no love, just hatred. So this was trance. But what about that inner pain Kuja felt? Michael whipped around; surprised that Kuja would appear like this.

          On instinct, he raised the gun again. Kuja's eyes narrowed as he focused on the gun. For a moment, Michael actually dropped it on the ground. When he tried to pick it up, Kuja kneed him in the stomach.

          "Come on, little human. Do you want your little toy gun? Come get it, then."

          He kicked the gun out of Michael's reach and smirked. He continued with kicking the gun out of the way game viciously until he caught of my expression. It was then that he hesitated and Michael snatched the gun. With a grin, he was on his feet again. With the barrel of the gun pointed at Kuja's face. Kuja did not flinch, in fact, he smiled.

          "Fire, mortal. Fire, if you think you are bad enough," He taunted.

          The gun fired, but it missed him entirely. Instead, I felt a small thing in the center of my chest. Time seemed to slow down as I looked at my chest. There was a small bloody hole where inch resided. A garbled groan escaped from my mouth as I fell backwards. Kuja's face went paler than ever as he realized what Michael had done.

Kuja:

          I was confused…empty…gone. The love of my love was dying at the hands of the bullet meant for my body. A tear slid down my cheek subconsciously and I wiped it away. The one time I actually had a child waiting for me and it was snatched away from me. Some maniacal twist of fate had robbed all I cared for.

          _"I love you, Kuja, with all my heart."_

          Don't leave me behind, Zoë. Please…don't…I need you!

          _"I'm having your child, Kuja."_

          But it's dead now…it's gone…because of Michael. Michael! The realization of just who killed her swept over me like an ocean breeze. I was suddenly filled with rage. Rage for Zoë's death and the premature death of my developing child. A smirk eased across my lips as I faced him.

          "What to play another game, mortal?" I asked.

          Michael dropped the gun and started running down the empty street. I let out a roar that sounded much like a shriek and floated up into the air.

          "My grief shall not be abated, fool. I'll make sure you burn in hell for her death!"

Zoë:

          Through my dying eyes, I saw Kuja's brilliant form streak down the street. To him, I was probably dead and far-gone. In a sense, I was half gone. Through the small contact I had with Kuja, I could feel his pain…and his horror. He was just a child in a man's body. Please Kuja…don't hurt him. There was a mighty explosion that sent dozens of fiery pillars up into the sky. The pillars swirled around each other and merged into one single unit. Buildings vanished into the fiery mist, never to come back again. Just as quickly as it had come, the fiery pillar vanished. Where was Kuja? Did he die in the fire? Maybe he couldn't handle living anymore. I prayed that this wasn't true…that he was still alive.

          "Kuja," I whispered.

          All of a sudden, a person walked out of the fire and onto the street.

Kuja:

          The heat from the fire was almost comforting to my dying heart. Of course, using Ultima put me on a dying trend. My precious red feathers had already begun to fall out. I suppose it was a fitting end to me. So why didn't I let myself parish in the flames? The reason was right in front of me in the form of my love, lying on the sidewalk with a pool of blood forming under her. Her life was gone…snuffed completely out. Not even the power of the Life Crystal shard I had in my body could reverse that.

          But somehow I thought killing Michael would redeem that. The slight whine of sirens pierced the night air miles away from this location. They were headed here, I guessed by the keenness of my ears. I knelt down beside Zoë's body calmly as I could. I admit I was afraid to touch her still body. I was afraid that if I did touch it, I would die too. It was an irrational fear indeed. I picked up her body and hugged her close. In ways, I was still a child, reaching for attention and love. It began to rain softly at first; seemingly matching the pace of my tears, and then it grew heavier.

          "Kuja, see what the rains have brought?"

          I sighed, knowing that the Iifa was back again.

          "Back to torment me?" I snapped.

          The Iifa stepped out in front of me.

          "Torment? How can I torment a man who is crying over his fallen love?"

          "I'm not an idiot, Iifa. If you want me back in Gaia, then I'll go. There's nothing here for me anymore."

          "You give up so easily, Kuja. But that's to be expected during the test."

          "Test?"

          At the mention of the word 'test', my lips curled up into a snarl. When the Iifa noticed my reaction, she smiled.

          "Zoë is not dead, Kuja. She was more like a sacrifice so that you could unlock your true feelings. In a way, it was a test."

          I touched Zoë's cheek with my hand and sighed.

          "But she's dead. Did you count on that?" I asked.

          The Iifa reached her hand out to Zoë's body.

          "In a sense, she's not really dead."

          All of a sudden, Zoë's body shook as a rattling gasp escaped her mouth. Two brown eyes peered up at me, filled with love and compassion.

          "I thought you were dead," I whispered.

          "I'm more worried about you. I was afraid you would kill yourself."

          Well…I was pretty close to doing it. I helped her sit up carefully and nuzzled against her.

          "I was so scared of losing you, Zoë. So scared that I killed him out of spite and anger. I-I thought it would bring you back, but I was wrong."

          Zoë looked up into my eyes and smiled.

          "It's ok, Kuja. I know you didn't mean to hurt him. I know how much you love me. I just want you to tell me when things bother you."

          Be prepared to listen for weeks and weeks on end. Nevertheless, I nodded through my tears. Zoë whispered soothing words and proceeded to kiss my tears away.

          "I love you, Kuja."

          I caught sight of the Iifa turning to leave. But before she did so, she mouthed the sentence: 'You have earned your second chance. Enjoy.' Heh, how ironic. Somehow, I was glad that I was here close to the one I loved. It made the appreciate life better, for I knew that it was so precious. And there was no other place I'd rather be than here with my love. No other…


	11. Epilogue

Author's Note: This is my bonus chapter. Yes, I said bonus, simply because I was going to leave the ending like that. BUT I said I was doing a sequel…and that wouldn't work well so here it is.

Tainted Feathers

Epilogue: Kuja's Wedding and Beyond

Wedding Chapel-5 years later

Kuja:

          Today was a definite Kuja first. I was getting married. I couldn't believe it. It has been a long five-year period since my trancing incident. For a long time after that, I was weak and near death again. Zoë never left my side during those precious eight months. The only time she left was when the hospital had to admit her so she could have little Autumn. By then, I had recovered enough to go visit her. I admit it took us a long time to decide on our wedding. In fact, Zoë and I argued about it for nearly a year. So, we finally decided to do it when Autumn turned five years old. I smoothed my shortened silvery hair back and let out a soft sigh.

          So here I was, standing in front of Zoë's family at the alter of church. The door opened at the other end of chapel elegantly as my bride to be walked in. I held my breath as I took in her presence. Zoë was dressed in a beautiful ivory dress that trailed several yards behind her. Stunning, just stunning. It was surprising that no one could see Zoë's huge belly under it, for she was pregnant with another baby girl. Our daughter Autumn was behind her, holding the pillow where our rings sat. I smiled at Zoë as she stood in front of me. She smiled and lifted the veil off of his face.

          "I love you," I mouthed.

          That made her smile wider. I nodded to the minister and listened idly as he recited our vows.

          "Do you, Kuja Tribal, take Zoë Tsukikage to be your wedded wife?"

          "I do," I said proudly.

          "Do you, Zoë Tsukikage, take Kuja Tribal to be your husband?"

          "I do," Zoë said.

          She was almost crying as Autumn presented the rings. It was almost hard to believe that I was doing this. I was Kuja, the proud genome that promised he would not fall in love. How ironic was that?

          "You may now kiss the bride."

          I leaned in to kiss Zoë softly. She responded by kissing back passionately. When we finally pulled away, I was left speechless and blushing while the audience stood.

          "Shall we?" Zoë asked.

          I smiled and hooked her arm. We stepped off together as husband and wife, finally united in mind and spirit.

5:37 P.M.

Kuja:

          I sat out on the edge of the cliffs surrounding our seaside home. The horizon reminded me of the Desert Palace's view. It was hard for me not to miss Gaia now. Gaia was my life…and my love. But it wasn't my place to go back. Even the Iifa said so. The Iifa…what was it doing now? After the wedding, I felt lighter, freer. I felt no more remorse for Michael's death. I didn't feel the long-distance strain from trancing. So was I finally free? I couldn't say. It was just how I felt.

          "Kuja, come inside!"

          I turned towards our two story house and smiled. Zoë waved and smiled back. At her side, was little Autumn with her thumb in her mouth. I walked to the door calmly and picked Autumn up.

          "Thinking about Gaia again?" Zoë asked.

          I shrugged.

          "It's hard not to. I miss it so much."

Zoë:

          I could see the sadness behind Kuja's blue eyes. He missed his home, that much I surely knew. But there was nothing I could do for him. I loved my husband dearly, but I could not make magic. I eyed Kuja with concern as he sat Autumn down in a chair. Oh…but I wish I could work magic. It would make him so happy.

          "Kuja."

          He turned around and walked to me, tail held high in the air.

          "Something wrong?" He purred.

          "I wish I could take back to Gaia. Maybe that would make you happy."

          Kuja frowned.

          "No…that wouldn't have made me happy. I'm happy being here with you. You know that."

          "But…"

          He touched my lips with a finger.

          "Hush now. It is you that I'm happy with. You and Autumn and your unborn little girl."

          "Daddy!"

Kuja:

          I caught the smell of something familiar and snarled. Why was a genome here? I rushed to the back door and pulled it open. Just a few yards away stood a gray haired man in a catsuit. That couldn't be…

          "Autumn!" Zoë shrieked.

          I held her back calmly, not wanting to put her in danger.

          "Mommy!" Autumn shrieked, trying to pull away from the man.

          "Garland!"

Author's Note: Heh, heh…old-fashioned short cliffhanger. Enjoy it.


End file.
